Chelen Johnson
SIRXS (SEIP IR Excess Survey) : looking for IR excesses around stars found within the Spitzer Enhanced Imaging Products (SEIP) source list.
I met a lot of people over the course of [my first AAS]. So many people were interested in chatting, especially with a high school physics teacher!
The NITARP experience inspires students to participate in research and inspires teachers to find a place in their work (either in a club, the classroom, or new programs) for authentic research. For me, personally, this year of working along with students to learn about black holes has shaped my pedagogical view that real research should be the basis for all science courses.
The teachers who I have met through NITARP are just amazing. I am continually impressed by how hard they work and how enthusiastically they learn.